Torment
by CSNFreak
Summary: If she hadn't pretended to be an idiot then none of this would have happened. If she hadn't wanted to be accepted by the other kids than, maybe Sasuke would still be here in the village with their team...with her. Unfortunately for her, she knows that she can't change the past.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**  
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Prologue

People always assumed Naruto Uzumaki has always hated Sasuke Uchiha. They always assumed this because she was always arguing with the boy and was always trying her hardest to beat him. People never seemed to asked her about her true feelings towards the boy but, if you ask her. She will always answer that she never really hated him.

No matter, how much she tries she can't hate him.

How could she hate him? Yes, he was arrogant, egomaniac, brooding boy but she remembers with a painful ache in her heart, that Sasuke wasn't always like this. Everyone seemed to forget about this. The teachers, the students and even the Hokage seemed to forget who Sasuke used to be. It seems like she is the only one who didn't forget. She couldn't forget the boy, who he used to be. She will always remember and missed for the boy he used to be.

She remembers that Sasuke was once kind and loving, not the boy he is now. A boy who wasn't afraid to show his emotions but now, he was no longer this boy. He was no longer the boy she may have once respected. Now he is just a mockery to his former self. The Sasuke, she remembered, wasn't indifferent or cynical and he was definitely not cruel person.

Now, she wonders at times if the old Sasuke was just a figment of her imagination but, just one memory will always stopped her at her thoughts. That one memory was the one memory that will never allow her to despise him. This one memory will always make her forgive him for all the deeds he does to her.

Because, in the end he was the first kid to ever treat her nicely and not backstabbed her like the others. He was the first person to ever protect her from someone. He was the first person that actually acknowledge her as someone and not some kind of dog.

She can still remembered that day as if it only happened yesterday even through it has been years since it happened.

The older kids were bullying her, sneering and jeering as they tell her that she had no right to come to the park and how she was a monster. Like always, she ignored them by giving them a big smile; acting like their words never hurt her. They always left her alone when she does this, but not that day.

She hadn't said anything but, her smiles must have annoyed them because before she knows it, the boy was raising his hand to hit her. She remembered her heart beating wildly against her chest as she waited for him to slap her. She had heard that closing your eyes would make the pain lessen so she did that, waiting anxiously for the undeserved slap. Thankfully, the slap never did come.

And it was all thanks to that blasted Sasuke.

"You shouldn't hit her! What has she done to deserve it!" He yelled as he stood in front of her, shielding her from the furious, whimpering boy, who seemed to be frightened of what he had done. He had seemed so big at the time and so strange in her mind as no kid ever done this.

In that exact moment, Naruto knows Sasuke was different from the others.

Naruto could still distinctly recall the red hand mark on Sasuke's cheek and how it stood out against his pale skin. She wanted to apologize at the time but never found the courage to say it. So she motionlessly stood there, quietly watching him as he yelled at them for acting like assholes before, turning his attention to her and asking her if she was all right. Like a fool, she just simply nods her head before yelling at him about how she didn't need anyone to protect her. He yelled back at her about how only an idiot will smile while a person was about to hit her before running back to his brother, muttering about how girls were weird.

They didn't have much contact after the fateful day.

She didn't want to get close to him and was always careful to avoid him. A feat that was difficult to do as they were in the same class but she somehow manages. She never made eye contact with him and always made sure to stay out of his way. Sometimes, she watches him as he talks to the other kids, noticing how everyone seemed to love his presence, especially the girls. She noticed the girls always seemed to hang on his every word, giggling and smiling at all of his words.

The teachers adored him, calling him a genius as well as praising him for everything he did, not once scolding him. They never did this with her. Teachers always insulted her, always finding new ways to make her school life like hell. Not once, did they ever complement her.

Maybe, this is when she first became jealous of him.

Instead of lashing out at him, she simply started to study harder and train even harder. She thinks that by getting better marks than him that the teachers and students will love her like they did with him. Maybe, they would see her as an angel and not some kind of monster.

A fool she was to believe this.

It never happened. Whenever she got better marks than Sasuke, the students and teacher would sneer and accused her of cheating the exam. They say an idiot like her couldn't pass an exam like this. It burns her but she kept quiet and decides that it will be best if she just didn't do it again because, no one can do better than him.

If she wanted to be accepted by others then she mustn't do better than Sasuke Uchiha.

Looking back, Naruto realizes that decision was the worst decision she ever made.

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A/N: Please review.


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